HAMDEN, Conn. – John Delaney (Hanson, Mass.) hit a three-run home run with two-outs in the bottom of the seventh and Eric Weber (New Milford, Conn.) threw a complete game to give the Quinnipiac baseball team a 5-2 victory against Massachusetts, Tuesday afternoon at the Quinnipiac Baseball Field. With the win, the Bobcats improve to 15-33, while the Minutemen fall to 17-25.
Delaney went 2-for-4, including the game-winning hit, and scored twice. Pete Kummerfeldt (Pompton Lakes, N.J.) collected three hits for the second consecutive day, while Bobak Emamian (Cheshire, Conn.) also picked up three base hits. Bryn Doyle (Manchester, N.H.) and Ben Farina (Waterford, Conn.) had two hits and a run scored apiece for the Bobcats.
Weber (2-4) went the distance on the mound, scattering seven hits and two walks, while allowing just two earned runs and striking out five. Ryan Walczak (0-2) took the loss, giving up the game-tying run in the seventh before leaving two runners aboard that would come around to score on Delaney’s game-winning home run.
Mike Donato led the Minutemen with three hits, while Jim MacDonald had two hits, including a home run, to go along with two runs scored.
The Bobcats jumped out in front with a two-out rally in the first. Delaney got it started, legging out an infield single before Kummerfeldt delivered Delaney home with his second triple in as many days. This time, he painted the right field line.
The Minutemen got the run back in the second as back-to-back singles by MacDonald and Donato put runners on first and third. Bryan Garrity’s sacrifice fly to right plated MacDonald.
UMass took its first lead of the game when MacDonald connected with Weber’s 0-1 offering with one out in the sixth. MacDonald left little doubt, sending a shot over the left field fence to provide the Minutemen with a 2-1 lead.
Quinnipiac responded in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four runs, to take a 5-2 lead. Doyle singled and moved to second on Joe Poletsky’s (Riverside, Conn.) sacrifice bunt. Emamian then singled to left center to bring in Doyle with the tying run. Farina followed with a single to put runners on first and third and Delaney brought everybody home with a two-out home run to left.
The Bobcats conclude their regular season with a four-game home set against Northeast Conference foe Mount St. Mary’s. The series begins with a 1 p.m. tilt, Thursday, at Quinnipiac Baseball Field.